15 Dishes That Highlight New York’s First Wave of Spring Vegetables

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Despite the fickle weather in New York, plenty of chefs around town are ready for the full-on arrival of spring, and that means ingredients like morels, asparagus, fiddlehead ferns, spring garlic, and peas have hit the city’s menus. In fact, it’s exciting to (finally) see produce other than beets and carrots and potatoes on menus. If these 15 dishes are any indication, spring in New York is going to be absolutely delightful.

Asparagus, Spring Onion, Fiddlehead FernsWhere: RebellePrice: $15
At this brand-new restaurant on Bowery, chef Daniel Eddy sautés asparagus, chars spring onions, and tosses them with fiddlehead ferns in citrusy vinaigrette made with hazelnuts and a dash of maple syrup.

Potato Ravioli With MorelsWhere: Little ParkPrice: $17
New to the menu is a butterball potato ravioli with morels and spring garlic — a perfect accompaniment for the restaurant’s beet tartare (and the cinnamon-toast ice cream).

Spring-Radish RavioliWhere: Dirt CandyPrice: $23
Amanda Cohen’s at her best when she’s cooking pasta, and for this new dish, she makes the dough from black radishes, fills the ravioli with even more radishes, and then adds a pesto sauce made from radish greens. To finish: radishes poached in cardamom-and fenugreek-infused butter, and lemon-labneh sauce.

Foie Gras a la Plancha with Rhubarb Where: ToroPrice: $15
To lighten up the hunk of foie gras, sweet-and-sour rhubarb gets cooked in lime, ginger, and caramelized honey. This dish also includes jicama, chervil, tarragon, lemon balm, and green-garlic puree.

Chawanmushi With Spring RadishesWhere: BaraPrice: $10
This new East Village restaurant serves up a hybrid of French and Japanese cuisines. This traditional Japanese custard gets paired with crab meat, aromatic herbs, and seasonal radishes.

Ramps With PolentaWhere: Via CarotaPrice: $12
The vegetable dishes really shine here, but this new one isn’t too virtuous — sautéed ramps are paired with grilled polenta and bacon.

Soft-Shell Crab a la PlanchaWhere: Cafe CloverPrice: $16
Grub’s first soft-shell crab sighting of the season! This one’s grilled, not fried, and served with rye berries, pickled ramps, and a spring-pea aïoli.

Black Pepper-and-Vanilla MousseWhere: ContraPrice: $67
Dinner here ends with a stunner of a dessert: a mousse made with black pepper and vanilla, and topped with both raw rhubarb and rhubarb granita.

Contra's mousse.Photo: Courtesy of Contra

Spaghetti and RampsWhere: L’ArtusiPrice: $18
The best ramp dishes are often the simplest: All that’s in this pasta is mixed wild garlic, ramps, chilies, and Parmesan.